World Leaders: Alexander the Great By Biography.com Editors and A+E Networks, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.02.16 Word Count 947 Level 1140L

Alexander the Great, from a detail of the Alexander Mosaic made circa 100 B.C. Wikimedia Commons

Synopsis: King of Macedonia and conqueror of the then-known world, Alexander the Great was born on July 20, 356 B.C., in Pella, Macedonia. During his leadership, from 336 to 323 B.C., he united the Greek city-states and led the Corinthian League. After a campaign of conquest he became the king of Persia, Babylon and Asia, and created Macedonian colonies in the region. While considering conquering Carthage and Rome, Alexander died of malaria in Babylon, in present-day Iraq, on June 13, 323 B.C.

Early Life

Alexander the Great was born in the Pella region of Macedonia on July 20, 356 B.C., to King Philip II of Macedon and Queen Olympia. The young prince and his sister were raised in Pella's royal court. Growing up, the dark-eyed and curly-headed Alexander hardly ever saw his father, who spent most of his time fighting in military campaigns. Although Olympia served as a powerful role model for the boy, Alexander grew to resent his father's absence.

Alexander's first teacher was Leonidas, who had been hired by King Philip II to teach Alexander math, horsemanship and archery. Leonidas struggled to control his rebellious student. Alexander's

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. next tutor was Lysimachus, who used role-playing to capture the restless boy's attention. Alexander particularly delighted in pretending to be the warrior Achilles.

In 343 B.C., King Philip II hired the philosopher Aristotle to teach Alexander. Over the course of three years, Aristotle taught Alexander and a handful of his friends philosophy, poetry, drama, science and politics. Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, inspired Alexander to dream of becoming a heroic warrior, so Aristotle created a shorter version for Alexander to carry with him on military campaigns.

In 339 B.C. while still just a teen, he became a soldier and embarked on his first military expedition, against the Thracian tribes. In 338, Alexander took charge of a cavalry unit and helped his father defeat the Athenian and Theban armies at Chaeronea. Once King Philip II united most of the Greek states into the Corinthian League, the alliance between father and son soon fell apart. King Philip II married Cleopatra Eurydice and ousted Alexander's mother, Olympia. Alexander and Olympia were forced to flee Macedonia until Alexander and King Philip II were able to settle their differences.

King Of Macedonia

In 336, Alexander's sister wed a king, and during the festival that followed, King Philip II was murdered.

After his father's death, Alexander, then 19, was determined to seize the throne by any means necessary. He quickly gained the support of the Macedonian army. It proclaimed Alexander the king and proceeded to help him murder other heirs to the throne. Ever a loyal mother, Olympia helped too, slaughtering the daughter of King Philip II and Cleopatra and driving Cleopatra herself to suicide.

Even though Alexander was the king of Macedonia, he didn't automatically gain control of the Corinthian League. In fact, the southern states of Greece celebrated King Philip II's death and launched independence movements to break free from Macedonia. Alexander sent his army south and forced the region of Thessaly into acknowledging him as the leader of the Corinthian League.

Campaigns And Conquests

Alexander received the news that Thebes, a Greek city-state, had forced out the Macedonian troops stationed there. Fearing a revolt among the other city-states, Alexander marched his massive army — which consisted of 3,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry — southward all the way to the tip of the Greek peninsula.

Alexander and his forces arrived in Thebes. Three days later, they killed the residents and destroyed the city. Alexander hoped it would serve as a warning to city-states thinking about revolt. His plan proved effective; the other Greek city-states, including Athens, chose to become allies of the Macedonian Empire or to remain neutral.

In 334, Alexander faced Persian King Darius III's army and swiftly defeated it. Then, in the summer of 333, Alexander and Darius' troops once again went head to head. Although Alexander's army was outnumbered, he used his talent for military strategy to defeat the Persians again and force Darius to flee. In November of 333, Alexander declared himself the king of Persia after capturing Darius.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Next up on Alexander's agenda was his campaign to conquer Egypt, which gave up without resistance. In 331, he created the city of Alexandria, designed as a center of Greek culture and commerce. Later that year, Alexander defeated the Persians, and with the collapse of the Persian army, Alexander became "King of Babylon, King of Asia, King of the Four Quarters of the World."

Alexander's next conquest was eastern Iran. After capturing Prince Oxyartes, Alexander married the prince's daughter, Rhoxana.

In 328, Alexander defeated King Porus' armies in northern India. Impressed by Porus, Alexander made him king again and won his loyalty and forgiveness.

In 325, Alexander and his army headed north along the rugged Persian Gulf. In February 324, Alexander at last reached the city of Susa. Desperate to hold onto his leadership and draft more soldiers, he commanded that large numbers of Macedonians marry Persian princesses. After Alexander managed to recruit tens of thousands of Persians into his army, he fired many of his Macedonian soldiers. This enraged the Macedonians, who spoke critically of Alexander's new troops and condemned him for adopting Persian customs and manners.

Death

Alexander died of malaria in Babylon, now Iraq, on June 13, 323 B.C. He was just 32 years old. Rhoxana gave birth to his son a few months later.

After Alexander died, his empire collapsed and the nations within it battled for power. Over time, the cultures of Greece and Asia mixed and thrived as a side effect of Alexander's empire, becoming part of his legacy.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 Which of the following people discussed in the article would MOST likely support Alexander the Great's desire to develop Alexandria as a center of Greek culture?

(A) King Philip II

(B) Olympia

(C) Aristotle

(D) Lysimachus

2 Which answer choice BEST describes Alexander the Great as a military leader?

(A) unconcerned, because he destroyed a city-state that revolted against him

(B) strategic, because he was able to quickly conquer and control many areas across Asia

(C) defensive, because he only led his army to fight those that threatened his empire

(D) ruthless, because he destroyed many of the existing cultures in the places he conquered

3 Read the paragraph below from the section "Campaigns And Conquests".

In 328, Alexander defeated King Porus' armies in northern India. Impressed by Porus, Alexander made him king again and won his loyalty and forgiveness.

What does this paragraph accomplish?

(A) It shows that Alexander the Great did not have complete control over his empire.

(B) It shows that Alexander the Great did not know how to effectively rule other countries.

(C) It shows that Alexander the Great sought to adopt the customs and traditions of those he conquered.

(D) It shows that Alexander the Great respected the people he conquered.

4 Read the section "Early Life." What is the MOST likely reason for including information about Alexander the Great's childhood?

(A) It establishes that Alexander the Great was difficult to train and was therefore unqualified to become the leader of an empire.

(B) It explains why Alexander the Great's relationship with his father had a lasting negative effect on his life.

(C) It establishes that Alexander the Great was naturally inclined to be a successful warrior from a young age.

(D) It explains why Alexander the Great would become a more popular king than his father had been.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.